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Survival drives morality
On Feb. 21, Chris Merkling and Kevin Wright take issue with Donald Clegg’s column on morality without religious faith. They question where the standards of morality come from and attribute them to their version of God.
I can’t pretend to speak for Donald Clegg, but I know where my standards come from and they have nothing to do with religion. They spring from the same imperative that applies to all living things. That imperative is the survival of the species. Anything which contributes to that survival is good; anything that impedes it is bad.
Based on that imperative, it seems obvious for our species that getting along with others is a necessity for species survival. From that basic premise springs the need for cooperation, trust, honesty and all the other virtues.
None of us may be capable of doing the right thing all of the time, but even a cursory look at history should convince us that neither religion nor the lack thereof has much influence on that behavior.
Larry Blanchard
Spokane Valley